I happened to stumble on the prompt in the community about health, and it sparked a rush of thoughts in me. Let me share some of these reflections with you.
The value of a life or the value a system places on a life determines the kind of decisions that system will make. Whether it’s a government, a health ministry, or any other system, the life of one person matters more than the decisions people are going to make.
It’s striking to think that in some parts of Africa, a cow might have better health insurance than a human being. Why? Because the value placed on that cow is higher. A farmer will check every spot on their cow to make sure it’s healthy and prevent disease from spreading. But how often do we, as human beings, check ourselves to see if we’re healthy?
This is one of the reasons I don’t support the idea of neglecting health until it’s too late. When it comes to human physiology, nothing happens randomly—it starts somewhere, somehow. Illness doesn’t just appear out of nowhere; it begins somewhere. If we truly value human life, we’ll create systems that ensure people check their health properly.
But the truth is, we often don’t value our own lives enough. As a medical doctor with years of experience, I’ve seen this firsthand. People buy drugs that aren’t properly documented, rely on herbs, or consult untrained practitioners. Recently, I heard about someone going to a massage parlor for a diagnosis. It made me wonder how much money these places make from people who don’t know better.
If the system is ignorant, I hope the people aren’t as ignorant. The system is often out to get your money, and people need to wake up to this reality. Will there ever be a place where people lose time or resources for not checking their health? It’s an interesting thought, but as we say, “cutting off the head is not the cure for a headache.” You can’t bill or tax people for neglecting their health, but we must find ways to encourage them to take it seriously.
We need to start creating awareness not just about one disease, but about the importance of human life itself. We must change the mindset that “all die na die.”(To say that all will eventually die). Men shouldn’t have to risk their lives, and women shouldn’t have to risk their futures. Everyone needs a health checkup, and everyone deserves to live.
This awareness can have a huge impact. It can change the culture of health practices in Nigeria and around the world. I hope these words resonate with you and inspire you to take action. Let’s value our lives and the lives of those around us.
Thank you for reading.